 Hello and welcome to the Donahue group. We're delighted that you could join us for a half-an-hour of fast-paced conversation We're welcoming in the new year a year that we hope is filled with peace and prosperity and health and hope and all sorts of good conversation and You know just kind of keeping things rolling here. So joining me today. We're a little short I'm a Cal Potter could not be with us today, but Tom Pineski professor of mathematics at the University of Wisconsin Sheboygan Center Ken Risto Social studies teacher and doing other things in the Sheboygan area school district is also here We're gonna be talking right now about some local issues and can we issue an amber alert for for Cal Yeah, we're not quite sure where Cal is and he blesses heart is always the most responsible I think of all of us here, you know the governor has got all of his inauguration Festivities this today as we're taping so I wonder if Cal's got a little democratic donkey hat on his head And he's doing the Samba someplace in Madison And it just could be that an inauguration in Madison is a tweed bit more glamorous than the Donahue group It could be hard to believe. I'm skeptical about that. Well, we're gonna just launch into County County and city issues anyway, and we know that Cal is with us in spirit one of my favorite times of year is the The day after nomination papers have been filed and You either can listen to the radio or click on to the Sheboygan press early in the morning and to find out who's running This is the third election in a row that the city council is again a very popular place to be running One you only have to get 20 signatures on nomination papers Which is something that most anybody can do just kind of walking around the block Number two really doesn't cost a whole lot of money to run for the city council at least not to date So it's financially. I think within a lot of people's purview to do and third The city of Sheboygan I think continues to be a pretty controversial place. So your district district one wins the award for one two three four five people running Eldenberg and I believe Although I thought about it believe it or not I really did I thought well if nobody's running or one is running maybe I'll run. Yeah, but with so many I thought Well, the key they're participating the key in my view of all this long-term service in politics is recruitment is You know who who can you get to run because I think it's very difficult people even with all the reasons? I just said, you know, it's so easy to run for city council the plain fact is is to put your name on a ballot and Ask the population to support you one way or another is pretty daunting to a lot of people and and rightly so So it's good that people are running. That's a positive. Yeah, that's a very much a positive and some of these names. I know Job Jose is thrown his hat in the ring Neil Altman Bruce Christensen is a retired police officer used to be the liaison officer at South High yeah the for last oh, I don't know 15 20 years of his career Yeah, Bruce was the police liaison officer over at South High. Yeah, that's correct. Is he completely retired? Yes, he's been this is the second year that he's retired from the district, okay, and from the police department Okay, and then Jim Gisha Jim well-known Republican And he's on the radio, isn't he a talk show or something? I don't know he's one of those deep booming radio voices He could be but I'm not sure the conservative voice on the Friday morning. There you go. Yeah, there you go Yeah, so yes, so I don't think they'll be able to talk about City politics a whole lot on first Fridays unless he takes a leave of absence which people do from time to time That's probably would have to happen. Yeah. Yeah, well Dirk Seilman our friend Dirk Seilman who is also on that morning show is running for the town of Mosul Town chairperson job and I believe that right. Yeah, and I believe it's unopposed. I could be wrong But I I believe Assuming he went through whatever snowdrifts there used to be in order to get his nomination It's got to be a stepping stone to higher elected office Town chairman of Mosul. I sit in on a lot of town board meetings and that is pure democracy. It's really pretty wonderful Because people actually come to meetings They feel like they can participate ordinary everyday citizens. There's a lot of interaction which from a parliamentary point of view may make Lawyers and those of us who like parliamentary procedure a little crazy But there's a lot of discussion back and forth between the board and people in the audience and you get a Man, I don't want to get too misty-eyed or Norman Rockwell ish about this But it's really pretty pure democracy and so and I would assume that Dirk would run a very good meeting in the town of Mosul. This is Dirk only if you are unopposed. Otherwise, we are if you're opposed We're not taking any political positions here in any event. We lose our tax-exempt status if we start advocating for particular candidates Well, you know just there you go So we have five people running in the first district that means for sure there is a primary on February 20th In the second district interestingly enough and I'm and this is the headline On the day after nomination papers are due. I mean really top of the fold Susha Renee Susha is not running for council again Because she didn't file a declaration of non-candidacy. It's my understanding that people can that extends the nomination paper time Now until the end of the week. So if anybody and I'm in that district wants to Get involved while Vanderweist very nice guy our next-door neighbor is running a retired police officer and A fella actually down the block from us as well Corey Book who is I'm not sure what Corey does. I think he's in financial officer in a local business are running Did Renee Susha deserve to be top of the fold today with the news that she's not running Well, I think people are a little tired of reading about your old Ford's funeral It's no longer than any other other ex-president, but I mean it just seems to the fly the bodies around and so I I you know, it's a slow news day at the Sheboygan press and I suppose that Having an older a person who's been that visible and and deciding not to run is is you know reasonably good news or Bad news depending on your point of view. So we have two ex-police officers running So far as we go on the list, right, right? I'm just wondering if we're gonna have more ex-police Does Jack Weber know he's dead And I'm working on a lot. I'm not working on a lot of working a lot of sleep today. Yeah, police officer spouses Well now now now now in the third district There's a very nice young man who's the current incumbent who was appointed Dan Verhassell tonight. Is this his first election? Yes, I'm pretty sure it's his first and Dimple Adams a well-known person to the To the city council is running and Scott Lewandowski now Scott who has run for office a number of times has also Tried to get appointed to the council and to the school board Has enough signatures. It is my understanding to run for the school board And to run for city council. So Scott's gonna be a busy guy Scott was at Central yesterday when I was Wandering through the halls looking for work And and he was there with his nomination forms in hand and he was handing him over So I'm assuming if they were you know, he's got the signatures that he's running for the school board at the same time He's running for the city council and I mean it's not unusual of Juan Perez was exactly a son school board And on the city council at the same time well And when we scoot down to the seventh district with Barbara Tyshinski who's a current school board member Oh sure. No one can level the criticism now. However that you can't be on both because of course mayor prez was and Mar can actually resigned and there was about 15 minutes difference Okay, I'm gonna hear about that at the YMCA But there I think there was some some some degree of separation between him leaving the school board and and being elected Yes, like one degree, but yeah, that wasn't much The school board sort of the stepping stone to the city council Because locally you run in a local area in the school board you have to run citywide So you really have to appeal to more people citywide and a couple of towns thrown in there, but So there'll be a primary in the third district Fourth district your district. I believe yes indeed. We have three people running Jim Graff Dan Berg is back Dan Berg is back and that'll he threatened or promised us he would be returning running again on your point of view Yeah, and Joe Heidemann is running again. He's running again. Now. He did not make it through the primary last time. Is that correct? That's correct And again just for full disclosure. I know Joe pretty well, you know your friends and And we'll make no endorsements here. No, we're not making endorsements But Joel's from Sheboygan Falls originally native of Sheboygan Falls moved into towns three four years back and Did pretty well as a first-time candidate. I know some people were really pushing him or Encouraging him to think about a county supervisor seat, but but yeah, he's back running for the seat and It'd be interesting. I know I was literally to make predictions But I got a feeling he's going to survive this time and face Jim Graff Yeah, I think Jim has come through a pretty brutal process as I say if we have a little time to Just weigh in on the John Doe and bet the John Doe It makes a sound very important, you know that Sheboygan has a John Doe, but in any event so there's a primary there Fifth district gene Davis Very nice guy on the county board for a long time was on the city council Just one term and has decided not to run again So Eric Rindfleisch who had previously been on the council and is the son of Ron Rindfleisch long-term School board members running and Susan Lissard. I don't know I don't know, so it'll be interesting to find out what what she's all about and in the sixth district Jeff Radke is going to have a primary Anthony Gartman who I don't do not know And Bill Wongaman a former alder person in City Historian, right? Don't we call him that? Yep. Yeah, who writes delightful columns. I think it was a distant cousin of mine Is that right? Oh, that's an endorsement Very distant. Yeah, my mother my dad's mother was a wangaman my grandmother Risto was a wangaman Well, and and so there's some kind of connection there now. He's going to be very upset that well never mind It's a distant relation. So seventh district There will not be a Primary apparently but alderman Vicki Meyer who is just in her second term or is running for the second term I'm going to be starting a second term running against Barbara Tyshinski the leader by all As I understand it from reading the Sheboygan Press the leader of the recall effort Against Mayor Perez. That's gonna be interesting. I think that's gonna be an interesting race Vicki ran a good Campaign last time in Barber runs a good campaign exactly. So I think that'll be an interesting race and people have to decide. Yeah, I think Maybe it'll be a yet another referendum on public opinion as relates to the recall. Oh, absolutely That's what this election is all about you look at that you look at the challengers and I mean go through the list I really don't know I Joe and I Heidemann have not talked about that But I don't sense that Joe has a particularly strong feeling about the mirror one way or the other He could and he's never shared it with me but When you have two former police officers a spouse of a police officer who ran was the spokesperson for the recall effort and We haven't talked yet about the eighth district yet. So we're kind of kind of jumping the gun here But this is clearly one more time of a vote on it's a referendum on one prayer Yeah, interesting to the green Eric Rindfleisch is certainly probably pretty neutral I would think I would Yeah, Dan Burke is no fan of Juan Perez. He's made that very clearly and I think Eric is a wonderful young man But remember he ran a former student of mine. He ran Kurt Zempel's Campaign, oh, yes against Terry Van Akron and did a wonderful job and Kurt Zempel is a police officer So, yes, he is now. Yeah, he wasn't what he was not what he ran But he is now okay, yeah, and Kurt's a Kurt's a very nice young man, although he's had some trouble And then in the eighth district Marilyn Montemayor is unchallenged. So there is one Dustin Havens who has run several times And I think if he had I would have been a good race so But I think it is just going to be interesting one more time. I We need a little a little Constancy or something about the council to keep changing every two years or every year New people they come in with you know great ideas and But they still have to learn how to function in the council and to make things happen the department heads are there they they kind of know what they want and You spend the first year first two years learning about the city council and learning Who the department heads are and being able to just walk in and talk to them and things like that But if you keep changing, you know you just You're going to be in flux or turmoil a little bit so maybe some of the Regulars will win me, but if you get new ones It's it's just interesting as to how long it is taking the council to it's what I call calm down, but to Become a little less. Hmm. I don't even know how to express it because I'm tired, too, but a little less focused on controversy and a little bit more Focused on just the everyday issues I guess I'm kind of surprised because As you're describing that I wouldn't describe this last council this last year on the council as this being that I you know I think overall they were fairly productive and and there wasn't there wasn't I mean that we got the police Issue resolved relatively, you know a lot not a lot of rancor We've got the budget proposed and passed And that was I thought it was a good some good great. It was a good debate You know and this then it was really was I watched the council meetings You know, where are we going to put the doggie poop park and you know the scuff that city councils have to grow You know that the grouple with and grapple with or other You know but I can't say that I really would you know saw them in these camps glaring at one another So I thought that was actually fairly productive And I was fairly optimistic that this time would go on they'd learn to work more and more together and continue And that and that may well happen and I would agree with you. I do think that this last year has been really quite productive I think that the budget that the council brought in was pretty stunning and we talked about this I'm sure in another show, so we won't spend too much time on it, but That was I thought good leadership from the mayor as well as from the council finally putting the the police station to rest I thought was huge and it's just that There just seems to be ongoing ongoing controversy, I guess I I'm very inarticulate expressing exactly what it is, but it's not a quiet group. It's not the county board It's not the school board at this point when I came on in the Late 70s and spent my time in on the council in the 80s. I had role models People who had been around for a while and we dressed properly. We stood and said your honor I mean I watched the role and if I didn't do that I was Told to do that. Yes. So and we don't have too many role models So there's been a few people a couple people that have been around a lot of time Jim Graff has been around with 20 something years But when you keep changing you don't have any role model and that's an excellent point Not only from the point of view of decorum and how you conduct business and so forth I remember when I got elected to the Board of Governors for the state bar there was actually an entire session about how you conducted yourself at Board of Governor meetings and The dress code was very clear and I remember having that same There wasn't that kind of formality on the school board But there were people exactly who were there to teach you how to do business And then secondly those are the same folks who bring history to The process and say not that we always have to do it this way But in the past this is how we've done it and I have always found that those historical Folks the keepers of the word as it were are hugely helpful when you're trying to do business and figure out Particularly they're on the school board or the council or county board. We're really doing the people's business It's helpful to have that kind of kind of guidance and probably you're right There it just isn't much at this point on the council and and they need to look out for my view point I think they need to look out and see help the city Continue to grow. It's been growing. We're making progress. Let's keep it moving in that direction Let's don't all of a sudden put up fences and close I think you know they like the council put up a fence last last night Saying that the only citizens could speak they have the top priority speaking on the open forum They should and I agree with Bonnie Serta. It's no big issue. Just it'll take care of itself Whoever first come first serve, you know, it's open council already So the this current council just put up a little fence citizens get top priority Well, that's you know That's interesting. Of course the school board resolves that I think pretty much by letting everybody speak There are no numbers. There aren't okay Sometimes when there's a controversial issue the president of the board will ask Are you all here to speak on this one topic and maybe try to get one or two spokespeople for the whole group? but if not they just keep going and I don't think that that's necessarily such a bad idea you could do that on If you were to convene committee of the whole meetings on a regular basis You could devote a half an hour of 45 minutes to people just coming in the people elect you they want to talk to you Therefore you're there exactly you sit there if it's you get if you sit another hour Are you yet another hour and listen and the council chambers now now we're getting into minutiae, but they really rearranged it so that people Alderman Alderman don't have to turn around to look at who's speaking and and so forth. And so I think And it's good to have time limits that's only fair, but I I Thought that was an interesting an interesting piece. So well there will be a primary on February 20th, and we'll probably take some predictions in our February show as the issues come out Time did you have a primary when you read? When I know I did have a primary. Okay, the reason I'm asking is you know It's really not that far away and when you have and say in your district five Pete six people so five people five people running. Yeah Do you I mean how much time does that give you to really get your message out about what you stand for what you want to run on and Then those steps not I mean when I didn't have a primary. I went around door-to-door and I Left a brochure. I had a brochures and some I talked to some people but But that took me up to April. Oh, yeah, and they won't be able to do that They won't be able to do that. Yeah, working doors is a long grind. Yeah, I think whoever has Either the better machine the better Campaign organization or if you capture just the right issue and are able to make hey I'm just just the right issue that can make you stand above the pack sometimes, but with five people. That's yeah That's very difficult. So it'll be interesting to see Beat only by how many people ran for governor after Gray Davis was recalled was it 256 Really wanted my daughter to run. She lives in San Diego. I'm willing to pay your $10,000 fee or whatever it is because How often can you put on your resume ran for governor in the state of California? I? Really don't know much about Neil Altman. I'm the reason I'm asking is because you know, I you know Jose, you know random size a self-described conservative. I've known Bruce for a long time at North and South rather and he's certainly Call himself a conservative at least he did my face all the time when he was attacking me as a liberal And you know obviously James is a conservative voice in WHBL for those forums on Friday I don't know much Democratic party whip or whatever it is. Well, but Tim and Sandy I thought lived in Sheboygan Falls And so I'm not sure if that's the same Tim. Yeah, that was my question I was wondering if that's Tim because if you've got you know three You know, I don't know how much how conscious people are of those things or how where they are those those those three But if you've got three at least three of those similar positions or similar political positions coming in You know, how many of those people these people are going to survive And how many people are going to vote you know, too Yeah, well, it'll be it'll be very interesting and I know the mayor is looking at it. We have some school board races I just want to touch on that the school board gets very little coverage these days and And in a way that's good, but in a way that's not so good There are two town spots and one city spot up for election There will be a contest There are three people running for the two town spots Jeff Squire who's the president current president of the school board is running for re-election Mark Mansell was appointed just a couple months ago when Teresa Blundell resigned and Al Yonte who's a former principal at Jefferson school who is retired is running and then the city spot my Shua Vang Is not running She's only having a fifth baby. I'm not Why can't you be on the school board too? She's a remarkable woman and Wonderful that you know, I'm very glad she's having another another child But she was she was I thought an articulate spokesperson for the Hmong community as well as just the community in general Scott Lewandowski and Fong Lee I Believe will have their signatures certified today and and we'll be running Fong Lee is an interesting fellow. He has a bachelor's degree in biology from Lakeland College and His wife is in the human resources department at Kohler and they have three little kids little little kids the oldest of whom goes to the early learning Center And I just read his biography I found it to be quite interesting and then we all know Scott Lewandowski because Scott is kind of the Harold Stassen is it as it Were of the Shabuigan area Scott has run for office to his credit a number of times for the council But now is also thrown in for the school board, right? And and it'll be interesting because I believe Scott is a substitute teacher and he has worked at South High School I've talked to him a little bit here and there when he's been in the building Yeah, and so it'll be interesting to have those contested races and I'm assuming that Scott if he were elected could not be a substitute teacher. That's correct. I mean that would be my understanding But we're getting the letters to the editor from people who are supporting so-and-so Candidates why we should vote for them and we'll be getting that might be a way of advertising That's got not in my opinion, that's a pretty effective fairly new way of campaigning which is to get people to write a lot of letters to the editor and Positive mostly but some of us have been the victim of not so positive letters and it's I Think people pay attention because you could see in school board races where the top vote getter was the person who was Most active in terms of getting letters to the editor and I mean in terms of campaigning I thought that had to be it's just name recognition, you know when a lot of people don't know you I've seen that name Oh, I've seen that name sure. I've seen exactly exactly We don't have a huge amount of time left a couple things going on in the county it looks as if Potentially the sale of sunny Ridge will go through to a private entity the nursing home will stay open and be operated by Minneapolis based Organization whose name is totally escaping me at this point The county is going to be throwing in three million dollars over a period of time for upgrades and so forth But the idea is is that the county will be saving about 14 million dollars over the six-year period. I think it is so I That sounds It sounds positive from the taxpayers perspective I know from the union perspective that I would expect that the wages and benefits Paid by the private entity will certainly not match those of the county But I guess the bottom line would be are they I mean are the people who need the service are they The clients so to speak are they going to be treated? well and yeah, so so it's I could be a Decent arrangement as long as the clients are treated well and this county could save money Yeah, it will be interesting to see if it comes out that Wages and benefits are going to be reduced whether they're gonna be able to maintain the kind of care that people have become accustomed to Yeah, time will tell I imagine about that right because the county was essentially I think paying a living wage um $7 an hour 750 an hour I think by any stretch is not a living you can't you can't support a family on that and so it'll be interesting to see how that plays out and Finally, oh, there was one other action the the county board Which usually doesn't have real controversial votes had a 1715 vote on the smoking ban Roger Otten had introduced a resolution to ban smoking within 25 feet of county buildings And on the inside of some other county buildings, and it went down to defeat at a 1715 vote and so And then finally we just have a few seconds left Maybe one of the reasons that even more people don't run for the city council is that there's a good chance that when you Speak to a friend that friend is going to be wearing a wire I Thought that the John Doe investigation Most interesting It was a little I think when I was talking about just the the continuing Yes, sense of dysfunction of that council is that You have to be careful about who you're talking to I don't know We have been talking to you folks in Sheboygan and happy new year. We'll see you again